Given the government’s record of restricting media freedom over the years, Mustafa K Anuar is not surprised that few Malaysians are finding any comfort in official assurances that so-called ‘guidelines’ for the Internet will not curb freedom further.

The denial of publishing permits for Suara Keadilan and Harakah robs ordinary Malaysians of their democratic right to information from a broad spectrum of the political parties in the country, observes Mustafa Kamal Anuar.

Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin’s latest salvo on the need for the government to impose control over the Internet is certainly worrying as it may cause unnecessary confusion – if not temporary ‘mental instability’ – among ordinary Malaysians.